Would a PS4 and Xbox 720 with AMD graphics be the right choice?

If you have been paying particular attention to the next-generation console developments, you’ll be very interested to know that fresh reports are claiming that AMD graphics will be featured on all the upcoming next generation consoles, i.e the PlayStation 4, the Xbox 720 and Nintendo’s Wii U console.

As you may have guessed, this news is by no means official yet, but the folks over at HardOCP have apparently gained some inside information from industry sources whilst attending this year’s E3 event in back in June.

According to their article, all next-generation consoles will be using AMD graphics chipsets of some sort although if the news turned out to be true, it’s likely that all three respective consoles from Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony will all use different variants of AMD graphics components. We already know that the Wii U will utilize a custom AMD RV770 Radeon HD chipset, so it will be interesting to see what Sony and Microsoft use in comparison.

If this becomes a confirmed fact, then you have to ask the question about where NVIDIA fits into all this. The company is just putting the finishing touches on their quad-core Kal-El mobile graphics processor, and it would seem strange if the company didn’t have some sort of part to play in any of the next-generation console plans. Not that AMD will be bothered, as it will be a huge coup for them from a business perspective if they can boast that they will supply graphics for the Wii U, PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s next Xbox console.

On the other hand, NVIDIA has more than enough business to keep them busy for years, especially since they are now a superpower in the smartphone market with many Android devices utilizing their dual-core Tegra 2 processor which seems to be equipped in pretty much every device at the moment.

From a gamers perspective though, we wouldn’t have a big problem if AMD did step up to the plate to deliver next-generation console graphics for the PS4 and Xbox 720. There is always a lively debate over which is better between AMD and NVIDIA, but as long as they keep costs down and deliver graphics significantly better than we have seen in current consoles, we don’t think anyone will bother about which company is chosen out of the two. If you are a PC gamer and are a regular buyer of AMD and NVIDIA chipsets, we’d also like to get your opinions on this one. Are the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 in safe hands with AMD graphics or not?

i do prefer the amd gpu’s over Nvidia for one main reason, the price. for the same performance, Amd or Ati cards are cheaper, and create less heat. considering the current gen’s overheating problems, Amd would be a logical choice.

NV has focused more on cuda and mobile procs than their graphics card advancements (rightfully so as they feel these areas are where the industry is moving). AMD has innovated over NV and Intel for a long time… both of which seem to come in and improve on what AMD has pioneered. I’ve been a long term user of NV products (back to the days of STB). In recent years the image/video quality has suffered and AMD currently provides a better product in this area not to mention a better bang for your buck (particularly where bulk orders like Sony and Nintendo are concerned). It’s smart all around for AMD to be in the next gen consoles, where raw power is needed and price not a factor, NV would probably be the vendor of choice. A large portion of the inflated price tag on the PS3 were the graphics (following the BR player). I wouldnt pay more than $200 for a console, so it looks like no matter what, I’ll be enjoying my computer for many more years of gaming goodness.

If you want a Wii U or Xbob 720 to run folding@home, nvidia would be a better choice. Consoles try to get good graphics performances with as little power as possible, and for that AMD’s graphics architectures are much better. In desktops, nvidia cards get better performance, but with much larger (and more expensive) dies that suck more power. Consoles are more picky about those things.

In general, I’ve found NVidia to provide significantly better graphics processors but just to keep the market competitive if nothing else, I would be very glad to see AMD providing GPUs for the next Gen consoles. However, I’d actually prefer if the next Gen processors that integrate both CPU and GPU into the same Die were installed versus older dedicated graphics processors.

AMD just seem to be able to make things cooler and need less power, which is why they have the best Low Profile HTPC cards. For this reason alone, it is enough to make console manufacturers want to use them. I currently use a 6670 and it does not need any additonal power other than the PCI-e draw. Compare this to the NVIDIAs best attempt without any additional power and it does’nt even come close really. Less power = Less Heat = Less Returns.